Dustin Karrison is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP's Chicago office. He is a member of the Tort & Catastrophic Loss and Construction & Design Law Practice Sections and serves as Chair of the firm's Midwest Tort Practice Team. He maintains a broad civil defense practice with a focus on tort and catastrophic loss, transportation, construction and premises liability. He is regularly entrusted by national and regional clients to handle high-exposure matters across the country, and he has litigated cases in jurisdictions including Florida, Texas, Maryland, Wisconsin, Nevada, Massachusetts and New York.

Mr. Karrison has earned a reputation as a skilled trial attorney who is frequently called in on the eve of trial to serve as trial counsel in complex, high-stakes cases. He has secured successful outcomes for his clients in challenging venues, including a recent defense verdict in Prince George’s County, Maryland, following a multi-day jury trial.

In addition to Mr. Karrison's active trial practice, he presents and lectures on emerging legal issues and developments affecting the defense bar. He is also a member of the Illinois Defense Counsel.

Clients value Mr. Karrison’s strategic approach, responsiveness and unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible results in every matter—driven in large part by his willingness to try cases when others might not.

Illinois

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

• “Test the Waters Doctrine Sinks,” The Illinois Bar Journal, 2022
• “Using Another State’s Laws to Your Advantage,” The Illinois Bar Journal, 2019
• “What’s Not to ‘Like’?” The Illinois Bar Journal, 2018

During law school, Dustin was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.

• Illinois Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2020–2026
• Fifth Place – Lincoln Award Legal Writing Contest, Illinois State Bar Association, 2018
• Best Oral Advocate Award, National Veteran’s Moot Court Competition
• CALI Award for Legal Writing 3, CALI

• “Through the Jury’s Eyes: Testing Damages with Mock Trials and Focus Groups,” Illinois Defense Counsel, 2025
• “Putting a Price on Injuries: How to Evaluate Serious Injury Claims,” PLRB Claims Conference, 2023
• “Using Social Media at Trial,” Chicago-Technology at Trial Seminar, 2019
• “Using Social Media in the Courtroom,” Eleventh Hour Seminar, 2019
• “Using Social Media at Trial,” Lunch and Learn with Geo, 2019